Storm Boelo leaves 22,000 without power as fresh wind warning issued

The Met Office has issued a fresh wind warning from 18:00 on Monday across the west coast of England, Wales and Scotland and eastern parts of Northern Ireland, following disruption caused by Storm Boelo. The warning comes as electricity crews work to reconnect thousands of customers and communities assess damage from the weekend’s severe weather.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks said 22,000 customers in the north of Scotland remained without power at 10:30 on Monday. More than 76,000 customers had been reconnected, according to the operator’s update, with teams continuing to assess damage and repair faults. Those figures describe its network area rather than a UK-wide total.

SSEN said fallen trees, flooding and difficult access were complicating repairs in some locations. Hundreds of additional team members were supporting the response, with crews working from first light to restore supplies as quickly and safely as conditions allowed. The remaining outages followed widespread damage to the electricity network.

The new wind warning adds another challenge to recovery efforts already under way. The Scottish Government confirmed that the warning for south-western Scotland would run from Monday evening until 03:00 on Tuesday. It said further high winds, rain and coastal flooding were forecast as communities continued dealing with the effects of Boelo.

Authorities highlighted the particular vulnerability of trees and buildings weakened during the weekend. Further windy conditions could affect structures that have already sustained damage, making the next spell of weather important even where the earlier storm has passed. The Scottish Government urged people to follow local forecasts and advice from the Met Office, police and environmental authorities.

Travel disruption has also complicated the recovery. The Scottish Government said fallen trees had blocked roads and that conditions had affected rail, ferry and air services. Transport Scotland warned that some parts of the network would require significant recovery work before normal operations could resume, and urged travellers to check with operators before setting out.

Police Scotland said officers and partner agencies were continuing to respond to weather-related incidents across the country. Its weekend update described numerous local road closures caused by fallen trees and debris, with the south-west especially affected. Police also reported evacuations from dangerous buildings in Ayr and a flooded caravan park in Ballantrae.

The renewed unsettled weather follows a succession of Atlantic systems. In its forecast ahead of the weekend, the Met Office distinguished Boelo from Storm Austen and identified another low-pressure system expected to pass north-west of the UK on Monday. That outlook pointed to another period of rain and strong winds, particularly affecting northern and western areas.

The immediate priorities remain restoring electricity, clearing damaged transport routes and monitoring the next weather system. The Met Office’s broader outlook suggested a chance of calmer conditions later in the week, while stressing uncertainty over the timing and extent of any improvement. Authorities are advising residents and travellers to keep checking official updates as repairs and forecasts develop.